Nine people were killed on November 1 when a chartered Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida. The jet came down on a road near Greenacres, west of West Palm Beach, close to homes. It caught fire on impact and left a deep crater in the pavement.
Two pilots and seven passengers were on board. None survived. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, and its early findings point to a possible breakup in flight.
Austin → North Eleuthera
Charter Flight Route
Learjet 60
Operated by Upper Jets
~35,000 ft
Where Crew Reported Icing
NTSB
Leading the Investigation
The Flight’s Final Minutes
- ~9:37 a.m.The jet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
- At cruiseAccording to air traffic control recordings, the crew reported icing and moderate turbulence at about 35,000 feet. The pilot said the aircraft was flying through precipitation and asked to climb higher.
- DescentSoon after, the crew reported a rapid descent and declared a Mayday. The descent rate reportedly reached 10,000 feet per minute, then about 20,000 feet per minute.
- ImpactThe aircraft struck Military Trail in the Greenacres area, close to homes and a mobile home community.
Investigators are still piecing together the exact order of events from flight-tracking data and the recorded radio calls.
Signs of a Breakup in Flight
At a briefing on November 2, NTSB investigators said they had found signs that the Learjet may have begun to break apart before it hit the ground. They have not yet said which parts may have separated, or when.
Investigators are also checking whether more debris landed away from the main crash site.
The Weather Question
Weather will be central to the inquiry. Before the descent, the pilots reported ice building up at high altitude, turbulence and precipitation. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were in the region at the time.
Authorities have not established whether the jet flew into a storm, or whether the weather played a direct role.
Records and Recorders
The NTSB will also review the aircraft’s maintenance history and operating records. Maintenance records show a cockpit voice recorder had been installed, officials said, but they have not yet confirmed it was on board at the time of the crash.
Residents Kept From Their Homes
Images from the scene showed burning wreckage and a badly damaged stretch of road. Debris blocked the entrance to a nearby mobile home park, leaving about 600 residents unable to get home for a time. Local authorities set up temporary shelter while emergency crews and investigators worked at the site.
What Happens Next
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Investigators will examine the recovered wreckage, go through the radio calls and look at weather along the route.
The jet was flown as a commercial charter by Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jets. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Investigators are expected to share more as the technical work goes on.
